OpenGate Capital Strengthens Executive Operations Team With Hire of Desmond Nugent

Desmond Nugent Joins as Principal Overseeing North American Portfolio Operations

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 8, 2016 – OpenGate Capital, a global private equity firm, announced today that it has strengthened its bench of professionals with the hire of Desmond Nugent as a Principal, overseeing the operations of the firm’s North American portfolio companies. Mr. Nugent was most recently a Principal with The Gores Group and will be working from OpenGate Capital’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Mr. Andrew Nikou, OpenGate Capital’s founder and managing partner commented, “Desmond is a world-class, tenured investment professional who brings with him incredible leadership and operational strengths that will be integral to our acquisition and operations strategy. In his role, Desmond will be a valuable leadership resource for our in-house operations team, and our portfolio of companies will benefit from his multi-faceted experience.”

Mr. Nugent will oversee operations for the firm’s North American portfolio of businesses and he will provide operations support to the firm’s M&A team on all transactions across the Americas.

Commenting on his hiring, Mr. Nugent said, “I am excited to join OpenGate Capital and look forward to working with the entire team. OpenGate Capital has forged a unique position in the lower middle market, particularly on cross-border transactions. I am eager to work on the current pipeline of opportunities and portfolio of companies that operate in a wide spectrum of industries.”

Prior to joining OpenGate Capital, Mr. Nugent was a Principal with The Gores Group in Los Angeles where, in the last five years, he held board and operational leadership positions at six portfolio companies. Mr. Nugent was responsible for each portfolio company’s financial oversight and partnered with the management teams to drive revenue growth, operational effectiveness, and profit improvement. Mr. Nugent has also held senior executive finance and operations positions in companies in New York, Chicago, London, and Milan.  Mr. Nugent earned his MBA from Columbia University, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Accounting from Queens University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Accounting from the University of Ulster, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

About OpenGate Capital

OpenGate Capital is a global private equity firm specializing in the acquisition and operation of businesses to create new value through operational improvements, innovation and growth. Established in 2005, OpenGate Capital is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with a European office in Paris, France. OpenGate’s professionals possess the critical skills needed to acquire, transition, operate, build and scale successful businesses. To date, OpenGate Capital, through its legacy and fund investments, has executed more than 30 acquisitions including corporate carve-outs, management buy-outs, special situations and transactions with private sellers across North America and Europe. To learn more about OpenGate, please visit www.opengatecapital.com.